Maybe you’ve seen the divorce websites that claim to be able to produce divorce documents for you. The idea is that some anonymous website can prepare all the documents you need – often for under $200.
Before you take them up on that offer – you should read this article. It explains why you need to beware of ripoffs with divorce document preparation websites.
So many times I have reviewed documents prepared by divorce document preparation websites. And so many times, they have been garbage.
Some of the sites I’d never recommend include the following:
- DivorceWriter
- GetDivorcePapers
- CompleteCase
- InstantOnlineDivorce
Those websites like to lure your with a bunch of claims, and super cheap prices. But are they simply traps for people that just want a fast and affordable divorce?
Before you use any of those sites, consider the following from me, an actual Lake County divorce lawyer (not some out-of-state company).
Documents are guaranteed. So what?
Many of the websites offer a refund if the documents they produce are not accepted by a court.
So let’s say you go to court, and the documents prepared by the website cause you to be unable to finalize the divorce. Then you have to go back to court, and try again. Is that website going to pay you for your wasted trip to court? I don’t think so.
By they way, guaranteeing that documents are accepted by the court does not really offer you any protection. What you need to be worried about is what the documents say, what they obligate you to, and what they protect you from.
It’s not hard to get documents accepted by the court. And it’s also not hard to get yourself in trouble by filing documents that don’t cover you the way they should.
Who are these guys, anyway?
Go to a divorce website and try to figure out who owns the company.
I bet you cannot find a single employee’s name on the website. Who the heck owns those companies? If you look closer, many of the companies are based in Delaware. When I looked one up, it seems the website was owned by a Deleware corporation, but that that corporation was owned by an Indian company. Whoa!
Do you really think it is a good idea to input a bunch of personal information to a website that is owned by some entity and people about which you know absolutely nothing?
Long story short, I think if you want your identity stolen then using a divorce document preparation website is a great first step.
Document preparation websites could harm you
The divorce document preparation websites could harm you in many ways. Here are some of the ways:
- Debt exposure: You may not be properly protected from debt caused by your spouse.
- Identity theft and fines: Your documents may contain personal information that the Illinois Supreme Court says should not be there – which can cause you to be fined by the Court.
- Asset loss: You may not end up with all the assets you want.
- Real estate mishandled: If you have real estate, you may not handle all the details properly, including quit claims, refinancing, responsibility for repairs and maintenance, and more. For more about that, see this article.
- Retirement accounts mishandled: If you are dividing a retirement account like a 401k or pension, a divorce document preparation website simply cannot do what it takes to make that happen.
- Child related problems: There is no way that a website can give you the same type of personal treatment as a lawyer. As a divorce lawyer in Lake County, I can talk to my clients about what divorce with children looks like, give them insight, and help them come up with solutions. A website doesn’t care about any of that.
How a Lake County divorce lawyer is different
As a Lake County uncontested divorce lawyer, I can offer flat fees to my clients – and the flat fees can cover my work, and the court costs for both parties. This makes using a Lake County divorce lawyer very affordable.
Have you noticed that those divorce document preparation websites don’t seem to mention court fees? In Lake County, Illinois, court fees for both parties are more than $500.
Divorce websites simply want to cash in on your divorce. Do you think they really care about the quality of your divorce. No, they do not. Whoever owns those sites simply cares that you pay them – you are nothing more than a number.
As a Lake County divorce lawyer, I can tailor your divorce to suit your specific situation. I’m not simply using some automated system to pump out some garbage.
I have reviewed documents prepared by websites, and believe me, they are terrible. My clients have been shocked when I pointed out the deficiencies in their agreements.
If you let a website prepare your divorce documents, how can you verify that those documents will actually accomplish what you want? The website certainly won’t help.
Will the website go to court for you and file your papers? Will the website schedule your court date for you. Will the website explain what is going to happen in court, and be there in court with you? Of course not.
I feel so strongly about this issues that, for a very small fee, I can review documents prepared by a website. To understand a bit more about staring an uncontested divorce in Lake County, see this article.